1. Careers in Technology Transfer
“It is my dream job
and it never ceases
to challenge and
enthuse me.”
How did you get into technology transfer?
After my academic studies, I entertained various possibilities
from marketing in Big Pharma and PhD in neuroscience to even
investment banking, but I knew I wanted to stay connected to
science even if not directly involved in lab work and as I started
my Research Commercialisation internship at Faculty of Medical
Sciences at the University Of Bristol, I knew technology transfer was
where I belonged.
As I started looking for a job in technology transfer, I relied heavily
on the PraxisUnico website for job adverts. When the job at The
Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) came up I was instantly excited as
it offered such a variety of responsibilities – negotiation, setting up
new projects, fostering collaborations, market research, intellectual
property management etc. Even a year later I’m still sure it is my
dream job and it never ceases to challenge and enthuse me.
What training have you had which has been
particularly useful?
I have completed a part-time, distance-learning course at University
of Bournemouth (PG Certificate in Intellectual Property). It has been
intense but very useful. The course was very much hands-on and
case law-based. It was fascinating to learn all the different nuances
that can deem a patent invalid or allow a smell to be trademarked.
Moreover, Negotiation Essentials course on Coursera.org has been
revealing for me in steering discussions with industry partners. I am
also looking forward to the PraxisUnico’s Business Development and
Software Commercialisation courses.
What does your day-to-day role involve?
My every day duties involve assisting with the identification and
progression of potential Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation
(KEC) opportunities, supportingTGAC staff in the development of
collaborative funding applications, developing networks and enabling
access toTGAC’s expertise in genomics and computational bioscience.
Occasionally I undertake market research activities in order for the
institute to make informed decisions about joint ventures, technology
investment and to keep track and predict trends in genomics and
bioinformatics applications. Collecting and recording KEC activity data
for monitoring and reporting purposes is also a big part of the job. All
this contributes to a longer-term objective of supporting the delivery of
TGAC KEC strategy and embedding a KEC culture within the institute.
Which achievements would you describe
as career highlights?
A 100% success rate in obtaining translational funding grants worth
£2.5 million is my main career highlight so far, especially since it
involved supporting academics through delivering elevator pitches
to panels of experts. It was incredibly rewarding to see all the hard
work pay off and the sheer joy on the faces of our scientists.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Working towards building lasting relationships with collaborators.
I thrive on seeing the progress made in collaborative projects.
It starts with raw uncertainty, sometimes trust issues and perhaps a
power struggle, and to see all this change into mutual understanding
and grow into collaborative high-quality science is very rewarding.
Lana Semykina
Knowledge Exchange Commercialisation
Officer at The Genome Analysis Centre
Lana has a BSc in Biochemistry and MSc in
Economics, Finance Management from the
University of Bristol, where she also completed a
Research Commercialisation internship.
PraxisUnico is the UK’s leading professional association for research commercialisation practitioners.
For further information about careers in technology transfer and knowledge exchange visit www.praxisunico.org.uk